Curriculum Studies: The Search for a Moral Core

Abstract

The chasm between the “ivory tower” of the academic world and the lived experience of the K-12 classroom has always been a subject of discussion, but probably no phenomenon has caused more debate on this issue than the reconceptualization of curriculum studies. One interpretation put forth by curriculum theorists is that the reconceptualization developed around a moral void, thereby freeing a constellation of academic discourses from the hold that traditional curriculum writing had on the field until then. We propose, however, that a moral core may be identified in the earliest literature of the reconceptualization. To illuminate it, we examine the texts of scholars credited with inspiring the reconceptualization. We suggest that the identification of this moral core would be a step toward curriculum theorizing that is able to provide “examination and critique of the status quo, pointers and concrete strategies for educational reform, and projections for the future of education” (Wright, 2000, p. 10).